It's hard to imagine asking a doctor to destroy a part of your brain. For the more than 1 million Americans suffering from Parkinson's disease, however, such a drastic measure--in which an electrode is used to kill tremor-causing neurons--may become necessary.
The irreversible procedure is just one of many therapies, both surgical and pharmacological, that Parkinson's patients have tried over the years to control the tremors, rigidity and other symptoms that characterize the disease. All the treatments offer some relief, but none can remotely be called a cure. Now that may be changing. The further scientists peer into the human genome,...
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